City of Palo responds after records show city’s involvement with Google on proposed data center

PALO, Iowa (KCRG) – The city of Palo is responding after documents obtained through an open records request show Palo city leaders worked with Google for months on a proposed data center annexation, despite public statements suggesting limited involvement in the project.

At a public information meeting last week, Mayor Brian Busch said the city was still learning about the project and promised transparency.

But public documents show Palo approved an agreement in December for Google to cover the city’s costs to study what is called “Project Meridian.” A separate invoice notes legal services in January tied to a “Google Annexation Project.” City leaders began meeting regularly with Google in February.

In a statement, the city said, “Palo has been aware of the project since the very beginning — but serious annexation discussions did not begin until Google approached the City of Palo requesting that change. Until that moment, Linn County was the lead entity, and we…